apple hr support update – End of Year Review
We’ve made it to the end of another challenging year! There were times when it was difficult to keep up with the changing world around us but we rose to the challenge and can be proud of what we have achieved in 2021.
Although there have been highs and lows for many businesses this year, we want to focus on the positives in the final apple hr newsletter of 2021 as we look back over the last year and look forward to some exciting new opportunities for 2022!
2021 Round-Up
We’ve been incredibly busy providing the best HR and Wellbeing services to our existing clients and plenty of new ones this year.
We have seen an increase in demand for updated contracts of employment and employee handbooks as businesses adapt their way of working. Our clients have taken a range of approaches including hybrid working, changing office layouts to encourage more collaborative spaces or encouraging home working on a more permanent basis.
The recruitment market was wiped out in 2020 and we’ve seen it pick up massively in the first half of this year with a well-saturated job market. However, now that fewer candidates are applying for each job, applicants can be a little pickier when it comes to factors such as benefits and company culture.
Therefore, when going out to recruit the best talent, it’s now more important than ever for businesses to assess their employee experience packages to be able to compete for the best candidates.
Mental health awareness and training have always been a really important part of our business and demand for mental health support has skyrocketed since the onset of the pandemic and continues to do so. This year we have run Mental Health First Aid Training Sessions, Mental Health
Awareness Webinars, Resilience Lunch and Learn seminars and other wellbeing events. These have received such great interest and feedback that we are planning to do many more next year so make sure you keep an eye out for those.
Working from home has highlighted to many businesses the importance of having great managers. If you can retain and engage your team so that they remain, productive and happy(ish) throughout a period of 18 months WFH, then you should be proud!. For some businesses, remote working has highlighted skills gaps in their teams and manages may have felt out of their comfort zone being asked to manage their disparate team for months on end without any formal management training. We have run Leadership and Development sessions for a few of our clients over this period, for Directors and their management teams to be able to get the most out of the rest of their workforce and therefore, their business. If you or your managers would benefit from some bespoke training we would love to discuss it further with you.
The apple hr team is pleased with all we have achieved this year and look forward to whatever surprises 2022 has in store (preferably no new variants).
Employment Law Changes
A number of proposed changes are being considered in the next few months in employment law which may be relevant to your employees and business as a whole.
These include:
· Mandatory vaccination
· Gender pay gap reporting
· Workplace sexual harassment prevention and protection
· New right to carer’s leave
· Tips and gratuities in hospitality
· Introduction of neonatal leave and pay
· Right to request flexible working from day 1
· New single labour market enforcement body
· Extending redundancy protection for women and new parents
Do get in touch if you have any questions about how these may affect your business and we will help you navigate the minefield of employment law.
apple hr 2022 Wellbeing Calendar
We have seen a sea-change in employers’ attitudes and approaches to employee wellbeing in recent years and to support our clients to champion employee wellbeing we have created the apple hr 2022 Wellbeing Calendar.
It contains everything you need to create a powerful Wellbeing Strategy in your business. Awareness days, learning opportunities and wellbeing activities are included each month to help you keep your employees engaged and happy at work. You can tailor which dates and events fit with your company’s values which will help you to promote a positive atmosphere and company culture.
Keep your eyes peeled for the launch in January 2022.
Extra Bank Holiday
Are you looking forward to the extra Bank Holiday in 2022 for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee? Or are you confused about whether your employees are entitled to an extra Bank Holiday or if they should take it out of their ordinary holiday entitlement? Or worse, are you trying to factor this day into the part-time holiday calculations?
Well, worry no longer because apple hr can help. The facts of the matter are simple and it all depends on the wording of your employment contract. If it states that employees are be entitled to Bank Holidays and goes on to list the specific days e.g. “New Year’s Day, Good Friday…” they will not be entitled to the Jubilee extra day and will need to take this out of their ordinary holiday entitlement. If the contract states that employees are entitled to Bank Holidays and/or public holidays then they will be entitled to the extra day as it is a recognised Bank Holiday.
However, upon speaking to clients about this subject, it seems that many are offering the day as a goodwill gesture to staff to show their appreciation for their hard work.
So your first port of call is to have a look at your employment contract and decide what you can do and then have a think about what you would like to do.
Mental Health First Aid
We run mental health events and training all year round, the biggest of which this year was our Mental Health First Aid Training course at the beginning of November. We had a fabulous few days “face to face” with clients (some of which we have only ever met through a screen) learning how to be the best MHFA’s we possibly can be.
But we know that the learning doesn’t stop when you finish the course. That’s why in the next few months we will be running MHFA support and learning sessions for qualified MHFA’s. They will provide an opportunity to mingle and share experiences since completing the course, in a safe and confidential environment. After all, even MHFA’s sometimes need an MHFA. We are currently finalising dates and locations and will be sending out invitations via email in the New Year.
Teaser – What’s to come in the world of apple hr?
We’ve already mentioned our mental health events for the upcoming year but what else does apple hr support have up our sleeve you ask? Well; here are a few teasers:
- Core HR packages (various packages of legally compliant HR documents to help you conduct employee lifecycle processes such as Recruitment, Onboarding, Engagement and Retention, Learning and Development, Performance Management and Succession Planning.
- Networking events (indoor and outdoor) with apple hr support clients
- Wellbeing and relaxation events
- Showcasing a holistic approach to supporting business owners – from funding and commercial lawyers to financial advisers and sales training
Wellbeing calendar 2022
As well as all of the above, we will still be providing our usual expert HR help and advice on a retained or ad-hoc basis to meet your business requirements. Whether it be Recruitment services, Leadership and Development training, informative and engaging social media content via LinkedIn (make sure you follow us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/apple-hr-support-ltd to keep up to date) and so much more.
It’s going to be a great year, let’s make the most of it!
Mistletoe & Wine
Finally, it’s almost time for us to take a break over the festive period but first… The Christmas ‘Do’! This could be the highlight of the year for some of your employees, time to bond, have a laugh and get a little bit merry with their colleagues. But, this can be a minefield when you’re the boss.
As an employer, do you know your responsibilities when hosting an event for employees? How can you have a good time whilst protecting yourself and your team from difficult situations and often avoidable scenarios?
At apple hr, we’ve seen the aftermath of many a Christmas ‘Do’ and can help you to limit risk and still have a great Christmas party.
Our very own Janet Schofield has penned this poem as a cautionary tale to all employers…
Christmas party season is almost in full swing,
The office closes early and you get the first round in.
The fizz is flowing nicely and there’s even party food,
And the drinking games are helping to set the Festive mood.
The pub is almost full now and the gang are having fun,
We should do this more often, get together everyone.
Another round of shots arrives, and mistletoe’s appeared,
The boss has donned a Rudolph nose and Father Christmas beard.
~
Now Tim is in an argument with the guy behind the bar,
And Sally’s fumbling in her bag for the keys to her new car.
I think I’m the only one sober and wish I was at home
But Emma’s got upset again, I can’t leave her on her own.
Now John is in a corner leering drunkenly at Sharon,
And no one has seen Nicola since she disappeared with Darren.
I can’t face a nightclub with the throbbing in my head,
I’m going to book a taxi now, I’m longing for my bed.
~
It’s Monday morning now and the office feels quite odd,
Emma isn’t in yet and Sally’s in with Rod.
His face is just like thunder and Sally is in tears,
I wonder what they’re saying, if only walls had ears!
Now Tim’s arrived with coffee and a bruise around his eye,
He’s acting really sheepishly, didn’t even come say “hi”.
I ask him how the party went, did he dance away the night
He mumbled something to himself about some sort of fight.
~
HR have been to speak to Rod, his mood is even worse,
And at the weekly meeting, his manner was quite terse.
Poor Rod is taking all the flack, he doesn’t have much luck
And now he’s seen the photos that have appeared on Facebook!
I’m so glad I left early before it all went wrong
And I’m sure everyone will start speaking again before too long.
Next year’s bash has been vetoed, we’re going for afternoon tea
I’m sure it won’t suit everyone but it sure sounds good to me.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy 2022 from apple hr!
Kate Appleyard, Janet Schofield & Georgia Baker
Email: kate@applehr.co.uk, Janet@applehr.co.uk & Georgia@applehr.co.uk
Mob: 07977 456624, 07724 105947 & 07379 789028